Tag Archives: green skin care

I was stocking up on some essentials on Vitacost when this face wash caught my eye. It was pretty affordable, so I went ahead and ordered it and I’ve been using it for my evening cleanse for a few weeks now.

Though it has coconut water and coconut oil, unfortunately, it does not smell like coconut. However, it’s still pretty great. The smallest amount produces a really soft, luxurious lather that leaves my skin feeling clean, but not dry.

This same range has many more products and I may have to pick up their toner or lip balm one of these days. Have you tried anything from Alaffia?

When my skin is breaking-out, I like to use this Now European Clay Powderas a face mask. The first time I used it, I followed the directions and mixed it with water, but after a minute or two on my face, it started drying out and got SO ITCHY and I couldn’t stand it and had to rinse it off immediately. I now mix it with honey and a tiny tiny bit of water and leave it on for about 20 minutes. Maybe it’s psychosomatic, but after I use it, my skin seems to glow.

When it comes to skin care, do you stick to high-end products or are you more a fan of budget buys?

iHerb has become one of my go-to online shops for lower-end natural/green skincare. Because it’s based in the U.S., I never purchase that much in one go as I don’t want to get stuck paying duty. I’ve found I can spend about $40 and not get dinged. Here is my most recent iHerb purchase:

Accure Brightening Facial Scrub. I’ve been looking for a good, gentle, natural facial scrub and had heard a few good things about this one, most recently from one of my favourite beauty vloggers, makeup TIA.

Weleda Almond Soothing Facial Cream. I plan to use this as a night cream when I run out of the one I’m currently using from Andalou Naturals. Weleda is a pretty popular brand in the natural skin care world and I figured it was about time I tried something from them.

Now European Clay Powder. A simple clay powder that can be used for face masks, recommended by the now defunct (maybe?) Ecoholic Beauty.

If you’re interested in placing an order with iHerb, use the code QZC051 to get a discount.

Well, you probably will, now that you’ve seen this picture. Honey! It’s one of the weirder products I use since transitioning to a more natural skin care routine, but I find it’s really great for my morning face cleanse. I simply scoop a bit out with wet hands, rub it over my face, rinse it off, and then use a damp washcloth to make sure it’s all off. Honey is naturally antibacterial and doesn’t dry out my skin like traditional cleansers.

I’ve only really developed a proper skin care routine in the last year. Before that, I washed my face with Ivory soap morning and night, put on some SPF during the day, and that was that.

I forget what the impetus was towards developing a better routine, but I’ve since added a morning toner, evening serum, and night cream. I’ve also changed from Ivory soap to a dedicated face cleanser and usually do a double cleanse at night.

There are still certain steps in this routine that, according to skin care ‘experts’, I am lacking. I don’t exfoliate, use a serum during the day, or use a dedicated eye cream, because I just don’t know if these are worthwhile steps. I feel similarly about toner.

Apparently toner helps re-adjust your skin’s pH level after cleansing and adds a bit of moisture back into the skin. Honestly, I don’t think toner does anything. I can go without it and see no change in my skin. However, it is a step I’ve come to really like. I use rosewater and find spritizing it on in the morning is super refreshing.

Of the two brands of rosewater I’ve used, I prefer the Thayer’s as the smell is less perfumey than the one from the Heritage Store. However, the Thayer’s does not have a spray top, so I need to decant it into another vessel. Not a deal-breaker.

I heard that Schmidt’s deodorant was among the best of the natural deodorants, so it’s the first one I’ve tried in my quest to find a chemical-free option.

I have hyperhidrosis (i.e. I sweat a lot), so the best I can hope for with any non-prescription product is that it will keep sweat at bay and prevent odour. The Schmidt’s deodorant does exactly that.

I picked up the Bergamot and Lime for myself and the scent is lovely, though I wish it smelled more like the former than the latter. I got the Cedarwood and Juniper for my husband, but the smell is definitely something both sexes could get away with.

The one downside of this deodorant is in the application. It comes in a tub, rather than in a traditional roller, and you use it by scooping up a little of the product with the included spatula, warming it up between your fingers, and then slathering it on your armpits. It takes probably three or four times longer to apply than traditional deodorant, but 2 minutes really is not a huge inconvenience.

Next on my list of natural deodorant to try: Lavanila and Siglarr brands. When I’m feeling particularly ambitious, I might even try to make my own.

Over the last year or so, I’ve been trying to be more conscious of the ingredients in my skin care, hair products, and make-up. One of the first products I’ve focused on is face sunscreen as this is something I use everyday and is intended to absorb into the skin.

My first foray into natural sunscreen was the John Masters Suncare SPF 30 Natural Mineral Sunscreen. This was highly recommended by the authors of No More Dirty Looks, the book that started my interest in natural or green products. I am not a fan. It is extremely thick so does not spread well and I required a good amount to cover my entire face. I also found that this sunscreen does not sink in and left my skin looking greasy. Further, near the end of the day, this sunscreen would collect in certain areas of my face so I would be left with small white marks on my forehead.

I picked up Devita Solar Protective Moisturizer SPF 30 at the recommendation of one of my favourite natural beauty blog/vloggers, Ecoholic Beauty. I have just started using this, but already, it is miles ahead of the John Masters sunscreen. It is thin so I only require a small amount to cover my face and it applies beautifully and fully absorbs leaving my skin matte. It holds up all day and wears well.

(If you’d like to pick up your own bottle of the Devita sunscreen, please feel free to use my iherb code – QZC051 – to save on your order.)